TORONTO — What started at the grassroots level has grown to be one of the most inspiring choirs in the country.
Ann Merriam is the founder of the renowned musical theatre program at Toronto’s Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts that has been capturing the attention of audiences for years. A bit of a maverick herself, she quietly kick-started the program back in the ’80s on a shoe-string budget, despite a principal’s initial doubt.
“It was built from the ground up. We were certainly not given anything to start with except a love of teaching kids, students and wanting to create something for this particular area that was not on the map at the time,” says Merriam.
Word began to spread and soon parents were flooding the school board with phone calls about auditions. Today, Merriam takes great pride in assembling such a singular troupe of talent year after year.
“We are what Canada is, every single colour, race, creed, religion, so diverse,” she says.
“You get students who are schooled and have vocal teachers and dance teachers and acting teachers and then you get kids who have nothing but raw, raw talent and the glint in their eye that they want to love it and if they love it we’re the right school absolutely.”
Vinson Tran is one of many talented students who are a part of Wexford’s after-school glee program.
“He loves it and he’s got such heart,” says Merriam. “You will see he is a stunning performer.”
Tran came to Wexford not for the performing arts but because it was the closest school to his home. But after he was discovered by Merriam and another musical director, he started coming to the after-school program. One year later, Tran is a soloist.
“Being in glee, it means so much,” he says. “You’re in glee because you love what you’re doing, you love the people around you. Everyone has different issues, at their homes, their own family backgrounds and stuff but once you’re in glee everyone is just fine everyone gets together everyone works together and it’s amazing. I don’t know what I’d do without it. It’s a beautiful thing.”
Wexford’s program is more than just a curriculum – it’s a family.
“There’s Auntie Honey and that’s the choreographer,” says Merriam. “There’s Uncle Tom which is one of our musical directors and there’s Bob he’s kind of the father to the program and it’s a very much a family. It’s just like a community you would move into.”
The students at Wexford have spent months preparing for this year’s national Show Choir Canada competition. In past years they have placed both first and second place. For four months Global’s 16×9 followed the choir to see if they would reclaim their championship title at this year’s competition.
But for Merriam it’s about much more than winning a competition. Her hope is that her kids take away lessons that will stick with them for the rest of their lives.
“If we’ve done our job, it will last a lifetime. A lot of them will take everything they’ve learned here; respect, group, care, they’ll take all of that, doing your best, into whatever they do and then we’ve done our job,” she says. “It’s about the heart. I get to do what I love every single day with people that I love. That is a life well lived.”
Don’t miss the full story Friday on Global at 8pm AT/MT, 9pm CT, 10pm ET/PT.
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